Product key codes do not work with XP CD

David M Clayton February 18, 2010 at 13:56:08Specs: Windows XP professional

I have an old laptop that needed a new hard drive. I have fitted new hard drive and now need to load XP pro so borrowed cd intending to use the product key code on the lable on the Laptop but it does not work. Can anyone help at all. The borrowed cd does have a working product key but I cannot use it at request of owner. The company that built and supplied the Laptop are not around any more.

Product key will only work with certain types of Windows CD. The product key you have on the Laptop will be for an OEM version designed for that computer. The CD you have will be a different, possible a retail version or a different OEM version.

As the company that supplied the original CD has gone out of business the sad fact is that, to put it bluntly, you are up the creek without a paddle.

Your only real option is you purchase a retail version of XP, not an easy thing to do these days.

Actually it's LINUX and I'm surprised at you jam for providing information leading to piracy. Perhaps you should also have provided a reference to the last paragraph on the link page:

"Note: Piracy is not encouraged and against the law. This article is to show that there’re indeed such a method of obtaining CD keys, and that any anti-counterfeit measure will likely ultimately cause trouble to licensed users too."

"I'm surprised at you jam for providing information leading to piracy. Perhaps you should also have provided a reference to the last paragraph on the link page"

All I did was provide a link. And assuming the OP checks it out, the paragraph is there for him to read & then decide for himself what to do. All I know is I have more XP product keys than I know what to do with...lol.

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